1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for fabricating a pattern on a substrate, in particular, the present invention relates to a process for fabricating a pattern on a substrate by ejecting a liquid material in the form of liquid droplets from a liquid droplet ejecting section.
2. Background Art
As a process for fabricating a pattern on a substrate, a process is known in which a film of liquid material for fabricating a pattern is formed on a substrate using a coating process such as the spin coat process, and the film is fabricated into a desired pattern using the photolithography process.
On the other hand, another process has been proposed in which a liquid material is disposed at desired positions on a substrate so as to directly fabricate a film pattern on the substrate. According to this process, fabrication steps relating to the photolithography process may be omitted or simplified.
As a process for disposing a liquid material at desired positions on a substrate, a process is known in which liquid droplets of the liquid material are ejected from nozzles provided in a liquid droplet ejecting section (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 11-274671, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-216330). The above process has advantages over a coating process such as the spin coating process in that the liquid material may be used with less loss, and it is easy to control the quantity and positions of the liquid material to be disposed on the substrate. In addition, this process is applicable even to a large substrate that may be difficult to handle in the spin coating process.
However, the process, in which a liquid material is disposed as liquid droplets onto a substrate, encounters a problem in that it is difficult to broaden the width of the film pattern. More specifically, when the volume of one droplet is increased, or when the total amount of the liquid material to be disposed on the substrate is increased in order to widen the film pattern, the performance of the pattern may be degraded due to irregularities at edge portions of the film pattern, and problems such as breakage or a short circuit may occur due to puddles (bulges) of liquid.
The present invention was conceived in view of the above circumstances, and the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for fabricating a pattern which makes it possible to obtain a wide pattern having edges of a preferable shape.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a conductive film wiring which is wide so as to be suitable for electrical conduction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electro-optical apparatus which has sufficient resistance against breaking of wires and short circuits, and to provide an electronic apparatus incorporating the electro-optical apparatus.
The present invention provides a method for fabricating a pattern, in which a liquid material is ejected as liquid droplets from a liquid droplet ejecting section, the method including the steps of: forming a plurality of first patterns on a substrate using the liquid droplets; and integrating the plurality of first patterns with each other by disposing the liquid droplets between the plurality of first patterns.
According to the above method for fabricating a pattern, a plurality of first patterns such as line patterns are formed on a substrate, and then the plurality of first patterns are integrated, thereby a wide pattern (film pattern) having edges of a preferable shape may be fabricated on the substrate.
More specifically, when the plurality of first patterns are formed on the substrate, the edges of the plurality of first patterns can be formed in a preferable shape having few irregularities by appropriately controlling the conditions for ejecting the droplets to be disposed on the substrate. A wide pattern can be fabricated by disposing the droplets between the plurality of first patterns so as to integrate the first patterns with each other.
In the above method for fabricating a pattern, the step of forming the plurality of first patterns and the step of integrating the plurality of first patterns may be performed by ejecting the liquid droplets using the liquid droplet ejecting section; ejecting by the liquid droplet ejecting section in the step of forming the plurality of first patterns and ejecting by the liquid droplet ejecting section in the step of integrating the plurality of first patterns may be performed under different conditions.
Accordingly, throughput may be increased.
If, for example, the volume of each of the liquid droplets used in the step of integrating the plurality of first patterns is set to be greater than that of each of the liquid droplets used in the step of forming the plurality of first patterns, or if the pitch between the liquid droplets disposed in the step of integrating the plurality of first patterns is set to be smaller than that between the liquid droplets disposed in the step of forming the plurality of first patterns, the plurality of first patterns may be integrated in a shorter time.
In the above method for fabricating a pattern, the height of the plurality of first patterns from the surface of the substrate may be preferably adjusted depending on the film thickness of the pattern to be fabricated.
In other words, the thickness of the pattern to be fabricated can be easily controlled by adjusting the height (thickness) of the plurality of first patterns. For example, the film thickness of the pattern may be easily increased by increasing the height of the plurality of first patterns.
The above method for fabricating a pattern may preferably include the step of making the surface of the substrate liquid-repellent before ejecting the liquid droplets onto the substrate. The liquid-repelling process which is referred to here is a treatment for providing non-affinity with respect to the liquid material.
As a result, expansion of the liquid droplets, which are disposed on the substrate, may be restrained, and thus the thickness of the pattern may be increased, and the shape of the pattern may be stabilized.
The liquid material may preferably include a liquid substance having conductive fine particles.
An apparatus for fabricating a pattern on a substrate according to the present invention includes an ejecting section for ejecting a liquid material as liquid droplets, wherein the pattern is formed on the substrate using the method described above.
According to the apparatus for fabricating a pattern, a wide pattern may be fabricated without losing the preferable shape of the edges.
The present invention further provides a conductive film wiring which is fabricated using the above apparatus for fabricating a pattern.
The conductive film wiring may be made wide so as to be preferable in terms of electrical conductivity.
The present invention further provides a method for fabricating a device that includes a substrate and a conductive film wiring formed on the substrate. The method includes the step of forming a pattern on the substrate by ejecting a liquid material as liquid droplets from a liquid droplet ejecting section, wherein the step of forming a pattern includes the steps of forming a plurality of first patterns that are substantially parallel to each other by disposing the liquid droplets on the substrate; and integrating the plurality of first patterns with each other by disposing the liquid droplets between the plurality of first patterns.
According to the method for fabricating a device, a plurality of first patterns are formed on a substrate, and then the plurality of first patterns are integrated, thereby a wide pattern (film pattern) having edges of a preferable shape may be fabricated on the substrate.
The present invention further provides an electro-optical apparatus which includes the above conductive film wiring. The electro-optical apparatus may be, for example, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic electroluminescent display.
The present invention further provides an electronic apparatus including the above electro-optical apparatus.
According to the present invention, the electro-optical apparatus and the electronic apparatus include conductive film wirings which are advantageous for electrical conductivity; therefore, breakage and short circuits in the wirings may not easily occur.